A place where common sense comes back 'round to bite you in the ass...

Thursday, March 02, 2006

The Gap, Indeed...

My Trip to The GapBy Faith Smith

I decided today that I wanted to check out the Gap store that is located up the street from my office, as I’m interested in finding a new pair of jeans that makes my ass look both bodacious and sexy while I’m wearing them. Plus, I need something in a darker wash than what I currently own. So off I went to the Gap at about 11:15.

I was one of maybe 3 customers in the entire store, which is what I was hoping for. "Ooh," I thought to myself as I spotted a mannequin in a semi-mini jeans skirt in the jeans section. "That skirt is cute! Must try that on as well…" I gathered 3 different pairs of jeans in different "fits", and then started through the sale section and found a new hoodie (of course), and as I wandered a bit more around the store, I wondered if my face wasn’t appropriately expressing the where-the-hell-are-the-skirts?-feeling I was having, as absolutely none of the 5 employees that were working on the floor acknowledged my existence, much less my need to be relieved of the heavy clothing I was lugging around with me. So I finally approached one of them.

"Excuse me…where can I find the jean skirts?"

"We don’t have any right now…"

"Um, how about the one that you’re advertising that you have on that mannequin right there?" I pointed at the mannequin that was standing about 10 feet away from us.

"Oh, those. They’re over here." I had clearly interrupted this guy’s ever so important task of folding shirts. He was annoyed with me. Or he was just bitchy, or something, because his attitude came across as though I was a very annoying person. As evidenced by the fact that he tried to tell me they didn’t have any skirts in the first place. "What size do you need?"

"Well, I’d like an 18, but it appe…"

"We don’t carry size 18 in the store. You can order it online."

"As I was saying, it appears as though you don’t have size 18 in the store, so I guess I’ll try it on in a 16. And, by the way, it’s really hard to try on clothes online, I’ve found. The internet just never fits me properly..." I don't think he cared for my joke. He handed me the skirt, I thanked him, and he walked away.

"We also have this one as well," he said from behind me. I turned to look at the other option he had found, and immediately began laughing heartily. He was holding up a scrap of material that was no longer than a 12 inch ruler. (Wasn’t much wider than that, either, but whatev…)

"I’m over 30. People over 30 shouldn’t wear things like that. Especially big girls that are over 30!" I kept laughing, and thanked him again. He still looked a bit peeved. I began to think it was more of a Morrissey-type-mad-at-the-world-for-existing-thing than just a generally-pissed-at-me-needing-help-thing.

I wandered a bit more, found a couple of cute t-shirts to try on as well, and then headed for the dressing room. (Mr. Happy had to help me there as well. I’m sure I made this guy’s morning…) I tried on the jeans first. I have about an inch to go before I can fit into the size 16 Long and Lean jeans painfully, and about 2 inches before they’ll fit me perfectly. Fine. I’ll try them again in a month or two. I tried on the "curvy" style of their boot cut jeans. Same thing. Just to humor myself, I put on the skirt. It fit just fine. It wasn’t even tight across my ass! Weird. But it was waaaay too short. So no deal there, either.

The hoodie and I became fast friends right quick, which is how I like it. And as it was on sale from the exhorbitant $58 they had originally been charging for it, I felt it was a good buy at just $40. (A cable-knit hoodie for $60? Come on Gap. Really. WTF?)

I paid for my new friend (which will replace an old, worn out, ratty one I have at home…), and walked back to the office contemplating the oddness of the materials and sizes I’d just encountered. I bought a large hoodie, whereas about 2 months ago, I wouldn’t have fit comfortably in it. I fit into a size 16 skirt, but not the jeans. Was it a stretch thing? I dunno.But I do know that I need to hit Old Navy again soon. A store that carries as many sizes as that one is a-ok in my book.

I understand that there’s only a certain amount of room that these stores have for stock. And I understand that it’s not their fault that I’m a size 18. But I still feel discriminated against for having to pay for shipping and to have to wait 7 – 10 business days in order to try on a pair of their jeans, or their bras, or their dresses, or what have you, just because I’m a girl with some meat on her bones. I guess I should feel lucky that they even offer the sizes at all, right? Hmph. Whatever.

5 comments:

I find that the sweatshop kids that make the Old Navy clothes don't have any sort of consistency. I'll fit into a 14 in one style and can't fit into an 18 in another style. Sometimes, I can fit into a 16 in one style and can't fit into an 18 in the SAME style. No consistency with those damn kids! I swear!

But you might want to send this entry in letter form to the Gap. First of all, you should have been greeted within 10 seconds of entering the store. Second, the "we don't have any" response was out of line. If they didn't have any in the store, he should have offered to locate the skirt in another store for you. And last--they should know that they're discriminating against customers who have money to spend but think it's outrageous to have to pay more due to shipping on the website. I'm sure if you return the item, you don't get your shipping back either. So what you pay in shipping is essentially gonna wind up paying for half the pair of shitty jeans you decided you didn't want anyway.

Long story longer: get a pair of Gap 18s on eBay. They fit? Great. They don't? Put 'em back up.

I buy all my jeans in the juniors dept at Kohls. The 13 fit me better than the 14 in the regular dept. I also tend to wait until they have the jeans on sale and get them for $15 or so bucks....they last me until the next sale and then-some!

I have the same problem with trying on clothes. I have a verytiny waist compared to the thighs. I usually have to buy my jeans bigger to fit my thighs but then the waist is way to big. (Also go back and get the skirt! Yes it may be too short, but wouldn't boyfriend enjoy that?)Hunny